Individuals are often confronted by situations that are ambiguous in terms of security. For example, a routine traffic stop may become dangerous for the stopped driver if the police officer turns out to be an impersonator. In some instances, the driver has some indication that a situation may become dangerous, but the indication may be indefinite.
In a situation such as the traffic stop, the driver may desire a witness in case the situation does become dangerous. One alternative is for the driver to use a cellphone to dial 911. However, since the situation may actually be safe, the driver may not wish to dial 911 until she is sure that the situation is dangerous. Also, a 911 operator will not be able to see the situation the driver is confronting.
To provide a visual record of the situation, the driver can use a video recorder to record the event. Unfortunately, it may be unlikely that the driver has a video recorder in the call. Also, if the police officer is indeed an impersonator, it is likely that the impersonator will take and/or destroy the videotape, and the driver is no better off than without the recorder. A means is desired to record the event visually in a manner that cannot be defeated by the impersonator and that provides an option to notify an authority if the situation is in fact dangerous.
Ambiguous security situations occur at home and in the workplace. In response, many individuals purchase security systems. In a home, these systems comprise sensors arranged throughout the home and often include a monitoring service provided by a security company. Organizations often install monitored security systems in the workplace as well. A few of these security systems comprise video cameras. These systems work well for the home and workplace, notifying the security company when a potential problem occurs. Unfortunately, these systems are not mobile. The cameras reside in a fixed position, and their movement is restricted to rotation around a horizontal and/or vertical axis.
In ambiguous situations occurring away from the home and workplace, it would be advantageous to have a system and method for providing mobile video-recording that transmits video images to a remote facility, such as a security office. It would also be advantageous if the receiving facility monitored the video images and notified authorities as necessary. It would be particularly advantageous if the system and method allowed the user to direct the receiving facility to retain or discard the video image based on an action or omission on the part of the user.